By The Numbers: A Year Of COVID

Also: What's lost when a restaurant or bar closes; reflections from Fauci and Collins on their pandemic year ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Donate [WBUR]]( [View in Browser](  [WBUR]( March 10, 2021 Good Morning Boston, 🌞 Sunny, with a high near 50. It's been a year since Massachusetts leaders declared a state of emergency across the commonwealth due to the ongoing pandemic. In many of the stories included in today's newsletter, we're unpacking what's happened, as well as what we've lost and learned. Here's what you need to know this morning: - The $1.9 trillion COVID stimulus package faces a final vote in the House today. The Massachusetts delegation is really pleased with the bill. Rep. Lori Trahan says it provides important relief to workers affected by the pandemic: "It is going to shave an entire year off our projected return to full employment. It's going to mitigate millions of jobs lost this year alone. It will help 2.3 million women who have been forced to leave the workforce entirely, return to work." - Dozens of local lawmakers want Gov. Charlie Baker to allow grocery workers to get vaccinated ASAP. In a letter, 34 Democratic reps called the delay an equity issue. Grocery store employees are next in line for the shot, but a date has yet to be set for when they could begin signing up. - We knew that public elementary schools across the state were [ordered]( to be fully back in the classroom five days a week by April 5. But we now have the order for when middle schools must ditch remote learning completely: April 28. No date has been set for high schools yet. Important to note: Parents can choose whether they want to send their children back in the classroom or stay remote through the end of the year, and districts are [allowed]( to ask families who travel during April vacation to learn remotely for the week of April 26. - The state has extended its free "Stop The Spread" testing program through the end of June. While numbers are trending down and more shots are getting into arms each day, it's still crucial to get tested, wash your hands, and try to hang out only with members of your household – yes, even during this stretch of warm weather. You can call me "no fun McGinnes," but health officials stressed that point during yesterday's COVID press briefing with Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. - Using convalescent plasma as a COVID-19 treatment ultimately offers little to no benefit to the patient, according to the [latest data]( from a series of controlled studies. - PSA: If you're a nurse that's been working through the pandemic, there's a new series of support group meetings starting tonight by the Betsey Lehman Center. The virtual support group is designed to help nurses process feelings of stress, sadness and anger that come along with what's been a devastating year. You can [learn more and sign up here.]( - In non-COVID news: MGH has established a [new center]( to study psychedelic mental health treatments. The center will focus on how and why the brain reacts to psychedelics, and its research could shed new light on what their use could mean for mental health treatment. P.S.– This year has been long, weird and entirely draining, but one of the few things that got me through was laughter. And much of the time, I was laughing embarrassingly hard (alone at my dining room "desk") at memes I found on the Twitter or Instagram. Our social media editor Meghan Kelly – the wonderful woman who writes this newsletter when I need a vacation – felt the same way, saying memes are a good way to feel like you're not the only one who's having a hard time. She [pulled together our favorites from the past year]( – get ready to "ha, ha, ha, sob." — Meagan McGinnes [@meaganmcginnes]( newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown [1.](url)[By The Numbers: What We've Lost, A Year Into The COVID-19 Pandemic]( Calculating the pandemic's brutal toll is nearly an impossible task, but there are figures worth noting that help express our profound losses. [Read more.]( - Opinion: ['Just When You Think It's Over, It Comes on Again': My Year With Long-Haul COVID](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    2. ['It Anchored Our Community': What's Lost When A Restaurant Or Bar Closes]( Here are answers from several interviews, as well as social media, to the question of what now-shuttered eateries and bars in Greater Boston will you miss the most? And why? We also decided to name some of the much-loved spots that just kept coming up again and again in your responses. [Read more.]( 3. ['Like A Ghost Town': Boston's Trolley Tours Now Tell Of Historic Struggles, Both Old And New]( With few things open, there are fewer places to go. It's a ripple effect. Old Town Trolley Tours of Boston tells WBUR it's getting about 10% (at times fewer) of the ridership in the pandemic year than in years before. The company says it laid off over 100 people. [Read more.]( 4. [In The '24th Mile' Of A Marathon, Fauci And Collins Reflect On Their Pandemic Year]( Two scientists, longtime friends and colleagues became two of the most public faces of the U.S. efforts to fight what ultimately became the coronavirus pandemic. As they reflect on the past year, they both express surprise, and disappointment, at the unanticipated challenges they faced in getting public health messages out effectively. [Read more.]( 5. ['Damn, I Have No Money': Musician Sonni Mai On A Year Without Her Music]( This is the first story in our arts and culture team's "Creative Grind" series. Reporters spoke to individual creatives to assess the financial and artistic impact of COVID-19, on a granular level, in the Boston area. First up — singer Sonni Mai. [Read more.]( Support the news Anything Else? - The Cape Ann Museum is remembering the 2,168 lives that have been lost in Essex County with a [memorial art installation.]( - Around the world, almost [1 in 3 women have experienced]( physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime, according to a new report by the World Health Organization. That number has remained largely unchanged over the past decade. - Did you miss last night's third and final Town Hall on COVID vaccines? You can [watch it here.]( [WBUR] Your Daily Must Listen [Sohla El-Waylly on Race, Food and 'Bon Appétit']( [Listen]( VACCINES [Clinical Trials, Speed And Special Technology: Developing The COVID Vaccines]( What To Know About Coronavirus Vaccine Distribution In Mass.[Read more.]( Here's Why COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe. [Read more.]( Asked & Answered: Your COVID-19 Vaccine Questions.[Submit questions here.]( 📬 Get the latest on vaccine safety protocols, side effects, local distribution plans & more in your inbox. [Sign up for our coronavirus newsletter and alerts.]( What We're Reading - A proxy culture war in Newton ([The Boston Globe]( - Harry and Meghan: The union of two great houses, the Windsors and the Celebrities, is complete ([The Irish Times]( - How Meghan Markle’s openness about her suicidal thoughts could help others ([Vox]( Tell Me Something Good [A Couple Who Met At Fenway Park 54 Years Ago Got Vaccinated Together There]( The tweet by the couple's daughter says, "Another great day for my parents at Fenway Park." Before you go: May the [Oprah memes]( never stop. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📨 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. 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